MEN OF MARK IN THE WORLD TO-DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 286, 3 December 1938, Page 4 (Supplement)

MEN OF MARK IN THE WORLD TO-DAY

Ato. Emperor Of Japan. Like His Realm. He Is Becoming Westernised

HxroMto, * the 123 rd 0 f *** bornoa Ap ; ■ ' eldest son oi Emperor rcmhibito. He was educated at Tokyo. attending the famous Peer-" School, referred for the sons of Ihe nobility, where be paid special attention to the Japanese and Chinese classics, also learning Ensili-h and French, as well as stii(!>;i:2 j.. ■!it ical science and history. After leaving school he was coached Lv_ learned professors of the Itn.eriai Universitv. At the age of 11 he was pro- ■ .aimed Crown Prince, and four years :-uer he was appointed a captain in the army and a lieutenant in tjie navy. When the Prince was 20 vears ot age he had an experience which was to have a deep influence on his His father, the Emperor, had planned an extensive tour abroad, w Inch was to have been the first such trip bv a Japanese Emperor. Illness prevented the Emperor from going on with his plans, so he decided to fiend the Crown Prince instead. At this there was a tremendous outcry. It was a law of the Royal House that the heir to the throne should not leave Japan. The Emperor maintained that it was time such laws should be broken. The Prince was to go. Several of the older statesmen who were horrified bv this decision resigned from office in protest. The Prince's own eager desire to travel outside his own land was a factor in overcoming the objections of the conservative school of thought, and he set off for England where" he was met on landing by the Prince of TVatee, later to be " King Edward The deep reverence with which the Royal Family has always been regarded in Japan can scarcely have prepared the Crown Prince for the freedom and publicity with which our own Royalty move among the people. " ° The natural shyness displaved at first by the Crown Prince soon gave way to a less formal attitude, and Jie learned to acknowledge the cheers which greeted him on his public appearances. His obvious pleasure in the busy holiday he spent in London made an impression on the Japanese journalists who sent daily cablegrams to Japan describing the incidents of his visit. During the visit the Crown Prince had half an hour's talk with His late Majesty King George V. They <=poke in English, and it was the longest conversation in our language that Prince Hirohito had ever had. After his return to Japan in Xovember, 1921, he was appointed Regent owing to the serious illness of his father, the. Emperor. In the following year, Britain's Prince of ales, who had acted as Hirohito's guide in England, paid a visit to Japan, and was very warmly received.

almost "LnT/W ° f^a £ an regarded by, his subjects as being millions. The old Emperor Meiii &!• fc »T*"'l ? most e figure, worshipped by but it has been left^hisgrandson the J?** " degree. ft ~". Present Emperor Htrohtlo, to convince the masses at " e IS a man in a human World.

us visit to England was the turning point in Hirohito's career. He saw at first-hand how it is possible for a monarch to maintain his dignity and at the same time gain a genuine popularity with his subjects. This gradual turning towards democratic ways and the fashions 'of the Western I world was soon to have its influence in Japan. One result was the hostility of a certain section among the Japanese who resented any departure from the ways of their ancestors. Three attempts at assassination were made between 1921 and 1926. One of these was at the end of December, 1923. The Prince Regent was on his way to Parliament when shots were fired at him. The bullets just missed him,

The Mayor and Chief of Police of Kyoto were much upset by this departure from tradition, and immediately resigned. Their next step, by all the rigid rules of the code ruling well-born Japanese, would have been to commit suicide. Hirohito, however, reinstated the two men in their positions, making it clear that he .was very much against the old custom of suicide became of a mistake or an indiscretion in connection with the ruling house. The Prince wa« to have, another clash with tradition in the section of his bride. By the custom of old Japan his consort must be selected from one of five recognised families. The Prince had other ideas. He chose as his wife Princess Nagako, whose family was of only the eecona line of Imperial lineage. There was much opposition, but the Prince was determined to have his own way, and the marriage took place in 1024.' There was one important matter in which this progressive youn" ruler was content to abide by the customs that had endured for thousands of years. This was the coronanation. The old Emperor died in 1926, and Hirohito ascended the throne on December 24 of that year. The coronation in the following year was a most elaborate occasion, consisting of five separate ceremonies followed by a visit to a number ot sacred shrines, including the tomb of his father. There is no crowning at a Japanese coronation because there is no crown. Even if there were a crown it would be considered that nobodv in Japan was exalted enough to place it on the Emperor's head. The lessons learned in his visit to England were not forgotten when this young Prince became Emperor. He seldom wears Japanese clothes, but usually appears in a morning coat when he is not in uniform. Breakfast is nearly always in foreign style, as is dinner, although lunch is after the Japanese fashion. Books dealing with political history, and particularly those treating of the French Revolution are his favourites. He keeps a diary, and his memory is regarded as exceptionally good. Many people, especially those living in countries bordering the Pacific Ocean, look on Japan with anxious eyes to-day and regard Emperor Hirohito as the leader of his nation's armed might. Only time can tell whether there is real cause for their alarm, but it is reasonable to hope that the Emperor's traditional friendship for England is not altogether discarded.

but he continued his journey and read out the Imperial speech to Parliament as if nothing had happened. The Prince continued to show a democratic spirit. He mixed freely with his people, and thanks to his frequent tours all over Japan, became a familiar figure to millions of his future subjects with whom he culti\ated the most friendly relations. When he visited the tombs of his ancestors at Kyoto, the young men honoured him with a torchlight procession. The Prince came out on the balcony to acknowledge their welcome. This was something that had never been done before, and the guards became alarmed, quickly driving the young men away. The Prince then came down and stopped them, mingling freely with the young men.